Skating in an indoor ice rink in Drenthe. At the end of last year, the KNSB and an entrepreneur from Rotterdam came up with a new plan for this. It will now be examined whether this is a feasible plan. A majority of Drenthe politicians are in favor of this.
During the meeting in the Provincial Council on Wednesday, VVD, Sterk Lokaal, CDA, SP and JA21 will present a proposal to conduct a feasibility study, including a possible choice of location. “We don’t trust an entrepreneur on his blue eyes. That’s why we want this research,” explains Alfred Schoenmaker on behalf of Sterk Lokaal. The PVV supports that research. And that makes it a majority.
There is no ice rink in Drenthe since 2016. In that year the ice rink of the Bonte Wever closed its doors. After that, there was a long discussion about a possible ice rink in Hoogeveen or Assen, but that came to nothing. The KNSB came up with a new plan at the end of last year, together with initiator Tijs Nederlof. It is a covered ice rink of 400 meters. The estimated costs are 3.5 to 4 million euros. The costs for the ice rink that might come to Hoogeveen were estimated at tens of millions of euros.
In total, according to the entrepreneur, this involves an investment of 5 to 6 million euros. He himself wants to invest 2 million. This means that 4 million euros will remain required from the province. The municipalities do not have to contribute anything according to the plan.
Last week, members of Parliament were updated on the plans. In any case, it emerged from that presentation that the politicians in Rotterdam will soon take a look at the track.